title: Theoretical investigation of the capture effect in intensity-modulation direct-detection microwave photonic links.
abstract: We introduce the capture effect concept in microwave photonic links (MWPLs) for the first time to our knowledge. The capture effect or the small-signal suppression is the change in the amplitude ratio of the two signals between input and output of the intensity-modulation direct-detection (IMDD) MWPLs. An analytical explanation of the performance of external IMDD MWPLs due to the effects of nonlinearity combined with sum of several input sinusoidal signals is given. We have investigated the suppression of a weaker signal in these links. General analytic expression for the small-signal suppression is derived using a nonlinear analytical approach. We show that the small-signal suppression is quite dependent on the input back-off, the power ratio of input signals, and on the number of input sinusoidal signals. The theoretical maximum possible signal suppression was found to be 6 dB. This analytical asymptotic value is verified by numerical results. We show the influence of the capture effect of the nonlinear MWPL on the optoelectronic oscillator operation that is verified by experimental data in the literature that has already been published.
authors.forename: Seyyed Esmail
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Hosseini
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Banai